Ripple CEO Opens Debate as XRP Leaders Explore Native Staking Concept

TLDR

• Ripple leaders discuss how native XRP staking may change value flow on XRPL.

• XRP ecosystem expands with the first XRP spot ETF from Canary.

• XRPL burns fees, so staking would need a new reward source and structure.

• Developers explore how incentive design could evolve as programmability grows.

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A new public discussion about the future of the XRP Ledger began after Ripple executives commented on how the network may evolve as new financial products enter the ecosystem. The exchange started after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse shared remarks from Ripple engineering leader J. Ayo Akinyele, who reviewed how XRP use cases continue to expand while new technologies arrive on the XRPL.

Akinyele wrote that XRP’s role has grown beyond fast payments and now supports functions such as settlement for tokenized assets and real-time liquidity across markets. He added that the launch of the first XRP spot ETF from Canary shows how institutions are starting to adopt products built on top of XRP.

The post reached a wide audience and encouraged discussion about how the network may change in the future.

Renewed Focus on the Question of Native Staking

Akinyele noted that he and Ripple CTO David Schwartz had considered what native staking on the XRPL could look like. He explained that many networks use staking to guide participation, but the XRPL uses a different model. Its fees are burned, and validator voting power is not tied to token holdings.

He wrote, “Most networks today use staking to align incentives, but XRP is different,” as he described the network’s focus on stability, trust, and low-cost transactions. He said that any move toward staking would need a source of rewards and a fair way to distribute them. He also pointed out that these changes would affect how value moves through the network.

Akinyele stated that the goal of discussing staking is to understand which parts of the design should stay the same as new features appear.

Community Reactions and Questions About Token Design

Developers and community members offered their views. Phil Kwok, a builder in the XRPL space, said that the main question is whether native staking rewards are needed.

He shared that some networks with strong performance in the current cycle have deflationary models. He noted that new reward systems can be built on top of XRP, though this is different from native rewards.

The comments reflect a wider conversation about how incentive models shape participation. As the XRPL gains new programmability features, developers are asking how the network can support new use cases without changing the foundation that has been trusted for more than a decade.

Examining How New Features Fit Into the Current XRPL Model

Akinyele said that the XRPL’s consensus model, called Proof of Association, is built around trust among validators. He added that this design has supported long-term stability. He also pointed to ongoing experiments from exchanges and DeFi platforms such as Uphold, Flare, Doppler Finance, Axelar, and MoreMarkets.

These projects show that staking-like systems can be built without changing the core network. Akinyele explained that discussing new ideas helps clarify what should continue as new layers of functionality appear.

The discussion is expected to continue as developers explore how the XRPL can adapt to new markets and products while keeping its original design goals in place.

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